Entries in Testimonies
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Dr. David Riffel and his family. (L-R) The Riffel's son, Kirk and his wife Shelley; their two daughters, Danielle and Lauren; daughter-in-law, Rhonda and her husband, the Riffel's son, Craig, and their two children, Emily and Stephen; Marian and David. (Click to enlarge)What happens when a Christian doctor, a man who practices a hands-on form of healthcare, gets a revelation of the power of the laying on of hands and of his authority in Christ? Miracles happen. Meet Doctor David Riffel, a practicing Chiropractor from Michigan, who has gotten a hold of Andrew's teachings and they have radically changed his life, work and ministry.

David and his wife of 45 years, Marian, have been spirit-filled believers for four decades. The couple had watched Andrew's television program periodically for a couple of years, but it wasn't until a longtime friend, Angie Abraham, who had been healed of cancer, suggested they read Andrew's books, that they really got a hold of the Gospel Truth.

The Riffel's friend, Colleen Morabito, had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the lungs and spine. This photo was taken between PET scans. (Click to enlarge)Just before the Christmas holiday in 2011, David read God Wants You Well, and he said that the information rocked his world. Between his formal medical education and having attended a church that taught about healing, David was familiar with the subject prior to reading the book. This made receiving the revelation of the availability of healing, through prayer and faith in Christ's finished work, a short leap of faith. "What I read in God Wants You Well told me that we have the power and authority to command sickness to leave and to release the power of God to heal others. This was something I had read in Scripture before, but I never saw it modeled in the dramatic ways that Andrew explained with certainty, and so I never believed that I had reason to expect dramatic results and that miracles could be a normal part of the Christian life."

As David began to get a hold of the revelation unveiled in Andrew's books, he also began to step out in faith and put into practice the things he saw in Scripture. David saw that Jesus told the disciples to, 'speak to the mountain,' but he had never understood that to be After David began to see results as he ministered to others, his pastor asked him to teach a class on healing at their church. (Click to enlarge)applicable to disease. After reading God Wants You Well, he had understanding and started to address people's ailments by their root causes. He has spoken to various mountains including kidney stones, Alzheimer's and cancer and seen some dramatic results.

The Riffels have a friend, Colleen, who had been diagnosed with stage four cancer of the lungs and spine around the same time they had read God Wants You Well. When the Riffels found out about the diagnosis, they gave Colleen's husband, Paul, a copy of the book to give to Colleen. In March of 2012, they invited Paul and Colleen and their longtime friend Angie and her husband Eldon to their home. Together they ministered to Paul and Colleen Colleen and David. Here, Colleen shares here testimony of healing in front of David's healing class at their church. (Click to enlarge)regarding God’s will to heal. The couples prayed and commanded cancer to leave Colleen's body, and they released the life of Christ into her to heal the damage done by the cancer.

Two weeks later the Riffels saw Colleen at church, and she looked radiant for a woman battling cancer. Two months after they prayed for Colleen, she had a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan which showed that all of the nodules in one lung had gone and that the tumors in the other had shrunk by 50%. Two more months passed, and another PET scan showed that one tumor was completely gone, and the second one had shrunk by 90%. The doctor explained that what was left was, “just a dot,” and according to Colleen the doctor said, “I’m ecstatic!” All the families involved are ecstatic as well, and David is standing with Colleen that her David and his friends, brothers, Dave and Dan Zink standing next to David's plane. David's revelation of his authority in Christ hasn't been limited to spirit and body, but he has spoken to weather conditions while flying and seen the weather change. (Click to enlarge)full healing will manifest as she and Paul continue to stand on God's Word.

The reality of God's power being available and flowing through believers has changed David's approach to healing and has opened up opportunities for him to share the good news with others in new ways. Since reading God Wants You Well, David has given away more than 200 copies of the book to relatives, friends and patients visiting his practice. This has not only produced healing, but has also yielded many salvations. And, after witnessing the fruit of David's ministry to people in their church, his pastor asked him to teach a series on his revelation.

This screenshot from the cockpit satellite weather display shows the weather parting after David spoke to the storm as he and his son flew to Colorado Springs. (Click to enlarge)It has become a daily occurrence for David to pray for a patient or friend and to see results, either on the spot or progressively—both undeniably credited to God's healing power. He has seen kidneys healed, barren wombs retain pregnancy, and even seen weather patterns change after taking authority over them. "We have gained so much understanding of the Word by reading Andrew’s books (we have about every book he has written) and the revelations God has given me in the Word are amazing," said David with joyful satisfaction in the Lord.

Frank and Joan Korinek stand with Andrew and Jamie after Joan's first-year promotion ceremony at CBC. (Click to enlarge)Frank and Joan Korinek both grew up in Catholic churches, where they found their church environment to be peaceful and structured. They both learned about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but relationship with God was thought to be a very private matter, not regularly discussed or explored. Although they were both born again in their respective churches at a young age, neither of them really understood what salvation was. It wasn’t until later as adults, that the two realized that they could pursue a more personal, intimate relationship with God.

Frank standing in the AWM/CBC parking lot in Colorado Springs before attending the 2008 Men's Advance (Click to enlarge)After the Korineks were married and had children, they spent periods of time attending church regularly, and other times not going at all. “As I look back, I now see that I, and my family, could have achieved and grown so much more if only I had chosen to seek God and His word earlier,” said Frank.

Joan recalls, at one church service, hearing that it was possible to live a “sin-free, fear-free life." This was significant for Joan and spurred her to begin exploring the Bible to find more encouragement and instruction. Unfortunately, Joan had difficulty understanding what she read. She decided to look for help and in her search, Joan discovered Andrew on television. For the first time in her life, she heard Scripture being explained in a way that made sense to her.Joan, a former Executive Administrator for the Corporate Vice President of Finance for Motorola, shaking hands with AWM's World Outreach Director, Wendell Parr, during CBC-Chicago's 2009 graduation ceremony.(Click to enlarge)

In 2007, several months after Joan found Andrew, she heard an advertisement for one of Andrew's Gospel Truth Seminars (GTS) being held near their home in Chicago. Knowing Frank would be out of the country on a business trip during a portion of the GTS, Joan decided to go the seminar alone. Joan had a wonderful experience during the first sessions at the GTS. While there, she ran into another member of her church, a man named, Joe. He told her that he had been studying Andrew’s teachings for a while and that Andrew was one of the better teachers of the Bible. Joe's words were a great encouragement to Joan.

Frank, a Director of Strategy with Motorola Solutions, at a business meeting in Taipei. (Click to enlarge)When Frank returned from his business trip, he was tired from jet lag. Joan mentioned to Frank that she had attended a GTS meeting and was planning to go back that evening. Frank acknowledged her plan, and chose to go to bed early. When Joan started to leave, however, Frank realized he needed to go with her. “At this point, I had also just begun reading my Bible, and was struggling with understanding as well,” recalls Frank.

At the conference, Frank was able to quickly and easily understand the Bible as Andrew taught, A Place Called There. At the end of the meeting, both Joan and Frank were baptized in the Holy Spirit. “Everything significantly changed for both of us after that,” Frank explained.The Korineks sense the Lord leading them to minister to ministers. As they explore this calling they are purposeful in making connections with other leaders in ministry. Here they vist with Mike and Carrie Pickett, the directors of Charis Bible Training Center in St. Petersburg, Russia. (Click to enlarge)

The Korineks purchased Spirit, Soul & Body and enjoyed the teaching of how God designed man and how to grow in their relationship with God. They were both encouraged and energized to learn God’s Word and they now had God’s gift of being able to interpret the Bible. “I was basically on fire for the Word. I downloaded all of Andrew’s audio teachings that were available at that time, burned CDs, and then spent the next nine months listening, meditating and re-listening to all of them,” said Frank.

It wasn’t long before Joan had the desire to attend Charis Bible College. A few days before the start of the 2007-2008 school year, Joan and Frank decided that she would enroll and attend CBC-Chicago full-time. Frank shared, “This was one of the best decisions we have ever made. As I was learning and growing through Andrew’s audio teachings while traveling, Joan Joan enjoying a laugh with the late Leland Shores during her second year at CBC. (Click to enlarge)was learning the Bible, how to build a relationship with God and how to apply God’s Word in our everyday lives through CBC.” The two spent hours discussing what they were learning, and they grew very quickly in the Word together.

In 2008, Frank and some friends from church attended CBC-Colorado's Men’s Advance. This event further strengthened the teachings Frank had been meditating on and helped him overcome some personal struggles. “Experiencing other men openly discussing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit really helped me get past some of my internal hurdles,” Frank explained.

Frank and Joan visiting CBC-Colorado for the Summer Family Bible Conference in 2009. (Click to enlarge)As the Korineks continued to grow in the Word, the two began to minister to their immediate and extended family members. As a result, both of their children are now born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

As the couple's revelation increased, the desire to give something back to the ministry began to grow, and the Korineks decided to dedicate vacation time and resources to volunteer at Andrew's seminars. The couple has completed the GTS prayer ministry training program, and they serve as prayer ministers at a minimum of two seminars each year.

Looking forward, Joan and Frank feel they have a joint calling to minister to ministers. Although they are not sure what this will fully entail, they are confident the Lord will show them. As God continues to reveal His plan for their future, they are content to enjoy life together, spend time with their family, enjoy their growing relationship with God and minister out of the overflow to those around them.

2008 Charis Bible College-Atlanta graduate, Carolyn Schrock with Andrew. (Click to enlarge)As a young girl, confusion clouded Carolyn Schrock’s mind and heart. She grew up hearing about God, and she knew He was real. She was also taught that He was the Creator of the world and that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for her sins. Carolyn believed that heaven and hell were real, and she wanted to make sure she ended up in heaven one day.

But though she knew all of these truths about God and the Bible, she was being taught many false doctrines at the same time. One such doctrine was that in order to make it to heaven, she must follow certain church rules and regulations, including a specific dress code that had to be adhered to.

So, which is it? Carolyn wondered. Was Jesus’ death enough for me to get into heaven, or do I have to obey all the church rules and do good works as well?

Carolyn being prayed for at the 2011 Gospel Truth Seminar in Atlanta, GA. (Click to enlarge)Carolyn’s genuine hunger to follow God and make it into heaven set her on a quest for truth. She had a difficult time accepting her church’s teaching that its members were the only ones who had discovered God’s “special ways” of doing things. She wondered how it could be that they were the only group who had any hope of making it to heaven, while the rest of the world went to hell because they didn’t know the “truth.”

The more she pondered the teachings of her church, the more she began to long for a different kind of relationship with God. She used her youthful imagination to help her escape from the rigid doctrine of her church. She wondered what it might be like not to have to obey all the dos and don’ts that constantly hung over her head, and how freeing it would be not to always wear the mandatory women’s head covering and to be free to purchase clothing instead of having to make her own dresses.

Even more importantly, she wondered what it might be like to be able to actually think for herself, making her own choices—Carolyn and her parents, Herman and Elise. (Click to enlarge)not just about clothing but about all aspects of life. So far, her parents and her church had made all her decisions for her.

She had asked her parents many times if God was really the one who gave them all the rules they had to keep. This thinking didn’t reconcile with the God of love she saw within the pages of her Bible. She wanted to know why Jesus wasn’t enough and if God really required her to follow all the “extra” rules to make Him happy. Her parents’ only response was, “The preachers know what’s best for us, dear.” But even though they gave her that answer verbally, she could sense an unrest in her parents and saw a wrenching look in their eyes. She later understood that look when she found out that they, too, were searching and crying out to God for answers and help.

Not having anyone to turn to for answers added to Carolyn’s confusion. She felt stuck in the middle of wanting to obey God but not wanting to obey all of the church’s rules. In her heart, she knew Carolyn serving at CBC-Atlanta.(Click to enlarge)that something wasn’t right. But even thinking about fleeing from the “system” indicated that she was rebellious. She continued to conform because she was afraid to disobey the rules. So, instead of getting answers, Carolyn learned to quickly dismiss such questioning and repent for her disobedient thoughts.

But the Holy Spirit wasn’t about to leave Carolyn alone. While, in her mind, she was pursuing God for answers, the Holy Spirit was pursuing her to show her the truth. The confusion and nagging questions just wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard she tried to squelch them for fear of being in disobedience.

Then one day, at age twelve, Carolyn heard a clear message of the true, uncompromising good news of Jesus: She could be saved simply by believing in Jesus Christ, period. No extra rules. No additional work on her behalf. She could go to heaven because of Jesus alone.Carolyn, Easter 2012.(Click to enlarge)

Carolyn had found a new freedom in God. He gave her a brand-new identity in Jesus, and her relationship with the Lord had begun. Many questions about how to actually live out her Christian life remained throughout her walk with God. She often struggled because she didn’t have a clear understanding of God’s true nature and character.

Even though she had found freedom in the saving power of God’s grace, she often fell back into her old patterns of trying to please Him and get her prayers answered based on her performance. She wasn’t able to fully walk in God’s grace and live her life knowing that God accepted her despite the things she did—or didn’t do.

In the midst of her struggle, she learned of Charis Bible College (CBC) in Atlanta. As soon as she heard about it, she knew in her heart that she had to go. “I am so grateful for Charis,” says Carolyn. Carolyn with her graduating class, flanked by Andrew and Jamie to the left and CBC-Atlanta Directors Tom and Cindy Boyd. (Click to enlarge)“Coming here has been a blessing beyond words. It has given me an understanding of the nature of God, the love of God, and the grace of God like never before.”

Charis, which means “grace,” was revealed to Carolyn in a life-changing way through CBC-Atlanta. Her heart and thinking became saturated with God’s grace as the truths she learned at the school taught her how to practically walk in God’s love and freedom on a daily basis—something she had never known before.

Many of Carolyn’s questions about her relationship with God have been answered through the teachings and relationships she has developed at Charis. Through her time there, she has finally learned how to rest in the finished work of Jesus and step off the performance treadmill.

“Living in legalism and living in the freedom of a personal relationship with God that focuses on the heart are opposing ways of believing,” explains Carolyn. “Legalism doesn’t allow you to live out of your heart. But hearing truth being taught from the Word has set me free to live out of my heart.

“Thank you to everyone at CBC-Atlanta for helping to set me free. My life has been changed forever!”

Reprinted from the article Charis Shatters the Grip of Legalism, first printed in the Spring/Summer 2012 edition of the Gospel Truth Magazine.